The source code of software from Symantec published by a hacker

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The source code of software from Symantec published by a hacker

The PCAnywhere software source code, a program to control remote computers and edited by computer security company Symantec, was published online on Wednesday by a hacker. The latter, which is called YamaTough, was able to get their hands on an older version of the core code of the software and demanded 50,000 dollars to the publisher for not making public.

Initially, Symantec had estimated that the risk was limited, the former being stolen version. But the publisher had then advised his clients to cease to use the program pending a fix for one or more potentially exploitable vulnerabilities, an extremely rare request from a software company.

“Symantec was prepared for a release of this source code, and we have prepared and implemented a series of patches from January 23 to protect our users, ” said a spokesman for the company. Symantec claims to have contacted the law enforcement upon receipt of the ransom, and ensures that the police took charge of negotiations with YamaTough, exchanges of messages have been posted online .

Symantec expects that from 2006 versions of the source code of several other programs, including Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition and Norton Internet Security, are also being released in the coming weeks. “As we have already said publicly, it s’ is old code, and users of Symantec products and Norton will not run any additional risk in case of publication.